Internal-combustion engine



Mar. 20, 1923. I 1,449,304.

T. N. SIVIITH.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. 7

FILED MAY 9, 1918. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

3140c mtoz T. N. SMITH.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

2 SHEET --SHEET 2.

FILED MAY 9,1918- T. 11 V: N 5::- x

mmfl kw L Patented Ill/liar, 2Q, 11223 THUMAS NOAH SMITH, OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS.

EBWERNAL-CQMBUSTTQN EUGENE.

' Application filed may a,

tion engines or motors, and more particu-- larly to four cycle engines having only a single poppet valve through which both the in- 7 let and exhaust gases pass.

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Among the objects of the present invention are to so design a motor of this character that the poppet valve may be made as large as desired and that it will be evenly heated on all sides by the exhaust gases, thus preventing warping. fi further object is to provide an improved arrangement of rotary sleeves or valves, capable of independent adjustment and serving on the one hand to distribute the fuel gases to the cylinders, and on the other hand to collect and discharge the exhaust gases therefrom.

In order that the invention may be read-. ily understood, reference is had to the ac-' companying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section through "my improved engine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof, parts being in section, on the three lines a-a, 6-4), and c-c, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the engine, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary horizontal section thipugh the rotary sleeves above mentioned; an

Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing one of the sleeves detached. Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the crank shaft of the engine, 2 the crank case, and 3 the usual cylinders, four ofavhich are shown. In the cylinders work pistons 4%, connected by pitman rods 5, with the crank shaft.

6 designates the usual half-speed shaft driven from the main shaft by means of suitable gearing 7. 0n the shaft 6, are mounted suitable cams 8, one for each cylinder, and on these cams bear rollers 9,, carried by the lower end of plungers 10, workltlltl. t'leiial l lo. 233,4l92.

ing through guides 11. Above each plunger is arranged a push rod 12, engaging one end of a valve operating lever, such as 13, pivotally mounted on a longitudinal shaft 14, secured to brackets carried by the cylinder heads. The other end of each of the levers 13 engages the end of the stem 16 of a single large poppet valve l8,'arranged for vertical movement and adapted to close against a seat 19, formed in the cylinder head. The valve stem 16 is surrounded by the usual sprin l7, and is preferably disposed axially o the cylinder 3.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that a shaft 20 extends vertically up at one end of the engine and is driven from the main shaft by suitablev gearing (not shown).

At its upper end, this shaft carries a worm 21, which is located between and meshes with two worm wheels 22 and 23, these gears all being enclosed in a casing 24. The worm wheels 22 and 23 are rigidly connected to the ends of rotary sleeves 25 and 26, respectively, mounted in bores 27 and 28, extending through the cylinder heads longitudinally of the engine and parallel with each other. These sleeves are spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit of the valve stems 16 operating between them. The stems 16, however, are relatively small, and the sleeves can be so placed that the head in which they are mounted is of no greater diameter than the body of the cylinder. The sleeves are surrounded by a special water jacket 3*, forming a continuation of the main cylinder water jacket. The method of attaching the worm wheels to the sleeves, as shown in the drawings,- consists of machine bolts 23, passingthrough the worm wheels and engaging screw-threaded openings 23", in the ends of the sleeves.

Adjacent each valve seat 19 is formed a chamber 29, with which the sleeves 25' and 26 are adapted to communicate through elongated ports 80, formed in such sleeves. By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that these ports are progressively, angularly displaced around the sleeve so as to come into registry with the several chambers 29 successively, and thus establish communica tion with the corresponding cylinders in the proper sequence. The ports 30 are distributed longitudinally of the sleeves and between adjacent ports the sleeves are pro vided with packing rings 31, which form .a. gas-tight joint so as to prevent the passage of gases from one cylinder to another.

From an inspection of Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that the diameter of the valve 18 is approximately equal to the length of the ports 30, and that, when such valve is open as shown in Fig. 1, it provides a passageway at least as large as the area of said ports. The stem 16 is small, so as not to interfere with the free and rapid flow of gases In Fig. 2, the parts 13, 16, 17, and 18, associated with one cylinder, are shown in one position, while similar parts, associated wit-h another cylinder, are shown in a different position and are designated by the, characters 13, 16 17 and 18?. respectively.

At the end of the engine, opposite to the gears 22-23, the sleeves 25 and 26 are open and communicate respectively with ports 32' and 33. A fuel gas supply pipe 34 communicates with the port 32, and an exhaustpipe 35 communicates with port 33, these pipes preferably extending vertically downward parallel with the cylinders, as shown, and being clamped in position against the corresponding ports by means of a yoke 36 and bolts 37, screwed into the cylinder heads. In my improved engine no manifold is employed. A spark plug 38 is set into each cylinder wall just below the head.

The operation of the engine will be obvious Fuel gas, either from a carbureter or other suitable source, is drawn in through the pipe 34, whence it passes into the sleeve 25, and thence through the ports 30 into the chambers 29 of the respective cylindersi Similarly, the exhaust from each cylinder passes through the corresponding ports 30 of the sleeve 26, into and through such sleeve and thence out of the pipe 35. Both fuel and exhaust gases pass from the cham-' ber 29 through the valve 18 of each cylinder, and to this end these "alves are properly timed by means of theseveral cams 8. In Fig. 1, the parts are shown in the position which they occupy during the intake stroke of the, piston. It is obvious that the valve 18 must remain open during substantially all of such stroke, and at the end of this stroke, the roller 9 will ride oil of the high part of the cam 8 and permit the spring 17 to close the valve. The valve must then remain closed during the compression and working strokes of the piston and must be lifted again by the cam at the beginning of the exhaust stroke. It will be apparent that the shape of cam shown. mounted as it is on the halt-speed shaft, is adapted to perform this cycle of operations. T he sleeves 25 and 26, which serve to distribute the fuel gas and collect the exhaust, respectively, also are driven at half the speed of the main shaft so that the ports 30 of each will communicate with the valve chamber 29 of each cylinder once every two revolutions, as is necessary for a four cycle engine.

It will be seen that by locating the poppet valve 18 axially of the cylinder, the exhaust gases when passing out completely envelop it on all sides and thus produce uniform' heating and expansion thereof. It will also be obvious that owing to the symmetrical ar rangement of the parts, the valve 18 may be made as'large as desired without in any way interfering with the rotary sleeves. Another advantage is that these sleeves being independent and driven by separate gears may beindividually adjusted angularly so as to produce a proper timing of the inlet and exhaust.

What I claim is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a vertical cylinder having a head, a pair of independent horizontal, rotary sleeves mounted in said head, and having elongated ports for the fuel and exhaust gases respectively, a single, vertically mov able poppet valve disposed adjacent said sleeves and having its stem extending between them, said valve being of a diameter approximately equal to the length of said ports, and, when open, providing a passageway at least as large as the area of said ports, said stem being relatively small'so as not to obstruct the flow of gases, and so that said rotary sleeves may be mounted close together whereby the head may be made of substantially the same width as the body of the cylinder, a spark plug set into the cylinder wall just below the head, means for synchronously rotating said sleeves, and means for operating said poppet valve in proper timed relation with said sleeves so as to control the flow of both fuel and exhaust gases.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of parallel cylinders, a pair of independent inlet and exhaust valves comprising hollow tubular sleeves rotatably mounted in and extending through the heads of all said cylinders, said sleeves having ports arranged to serve the several cylinders, a single poppet valve mounted in each cylinder head and controlling the flow of gases through thecorresponding ports of both sleeves, said poppet valve being of such size that lines drawn from the edges of the ports in said sleeves when in open position, parallel with the cylinder axis lie Within the confines of the poppet valve seat, and said sleeves being so located that lines through their axes parallel with the cylinder axis lie within the bore of the cylinders.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

'IHUMAS NOAH SMITH, 

